Insert assembly for foaming device

ABSTRACT

An insert assembly for a foam generating device includes a first insert and a second insert with a channel defined therethrough. Inserts may be formed by two shell halves that are coupleable to one another to define the channel. A plurality of ribs extends along an interior surface of the channel. Pad structures defined by porous media are provided in the channel and gripped by the plurality of ribs. The pads receive cleaning solution passing through the channel and cause foam to be generated by breaking-up the cleaning solution and agitating. The ribs may be arranged horizontally relative to a longitudinal axis of the insert assembly and retain the pads within the device. Inserts may be arranged in series along a longitudinal axis of the foam generating device with the pad structures arranged within the channel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 63/008,197, filed Apr. 10, 2020, entitled “INSERT ASSEMBLY FORFOAMING DEVICE,” which is incorporated by reference herein, in theentirety and for all purposes.

FIELD

Disclosed are vehicle washing and related systems, and moreparticularly, to devices for facilitating foam generation.

BACKGROUND

Vehicle washing and related systems may use foam to facilitate certaincleaning operations. Soaps, detergents, degreasers, and/or othercleaning products may be diluted with water to form a cleaning solution.The cleaning solution may be agitated in order to generate a foam orother aerated substance that may be applied to a vehicle to facilitatecleaning. For example, agitation media may be used to interrupt a flowof the cleaning solution and aerate the solution for foam generation. Inmany traditional systems, the agitation media is locked in a rigidframe. The frame may trap the agitation media inside and block a flowpath of the cleaning solution, thereby impeding system throughput.Conventional frames may therefore limit the adaptability of the system,including limiting the maintenance, replacement or addition of theagitation media. As such, the need continues to develop systems andtechniques to facilitate foam generation in vehicle washing or relatedsystems.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to inserts,assemblies, and devices for generating foam. Inserts may hold aplurality of pad structures or other agitation media within a shell. Theshell may define a channel therethrough. The shell may be formed by twoshell halves that are configured to be coupled to one another to definethe channel. The shell may include a plurality of ribs that extend alongan interior surface of the shell and along a substantially horizontaldirection within the channel relative to a longitudinal axis of theinsert. The pad structure may be gripped or pinched by the plurality ofribs. A cleaning solution may be advanced through the pad structure foraeration, without being substantially obstructed by the shell itself.The insert may be a component of a modular assembly and releasablycoupled with additional inserts, including additional inserts that havepad structures with agitation media of different porosities and othercharacteristics. The cleaning solution may thus pass through multiplestages of fluid agitation to generate a desired foam consistency andtexture. Cleaning and replacement of the pad structures may also besimplified. The inserts and shell halves may each be separated from oneanother, and subsequently reassembled with new pad structures as needed.

In one embodiment, an insert assembly for a foam generating deviceincludes a first insert. The first insert includes a first shell thatdefines a first channel therethrough. The first shell includes a firstplurality of ribs that extend along an interior surface of the firstshell within the first channel. The first insert further includes afirst pad structure defined by porous media and being gripped by thefirst plurality of ribs and held within the first channel. The insertassembly further includes a second insert releasably coupled to thefirst insert. The second insert includes a second shell that defines asecond channel therethrough. The second shell includes a secondplurality of ribs that extend along an interior surface of the secondshell within the second channel. The second insert further includes asecond pad structure defined by porous media and being gripped by thesecond plurality of ribs and held within the second channel. The firstand second inserts are arranged in series along a longitudinal axis ofthe foam generating device with the first pad structure and the secondpad structure directly facing one another for fluid couplingtherebetween. Further, the first plurality of ribs and the secondplurality of ribs are arranged horizontally relative to the longitudinalaxis.

In another embodiment, the first and second inserts may define anintermediate space between the first pad structure and the second padstructure when the first and second inserts are releasably coupled toone another. In this regard, the first and second inserts may be adaptedto restrain the first and second pad structures, respectively, fromentry into the intermediate space.

In another embodiment, the first plurality of ribs may be adapted topinch the first pad structure in the first channel. This may partiallydeform the first pad structure and restrain axial movement of the firstpad structure in the first channel.

In another embodiment, the porous media of the first pad structure has afirst porosity and the porous media of the second pad structure has asecond porosity. The first porosity may be different than the secondporosity.

In another embodiment, the first pad structure may define a first stageof fluid agitation and the second pad structure may define a secondstage of fluid agitation. The first and second pad structures areadapted to increase agitation of a fluid that serially traverses thefirst and second stages of fluid agitation. The first pad structure maybe one of a plurality of first pad structures that collectively definethe first stage of fluid agitation in the first shell. Further, thesecond pad structure may be one of a plurality of second pad structuresthat collectively define the second stage of fluid agitation in thesecond shell. In some cases, the first plurality of pad structures andthe second plurality of pad structures are arranged substantiallyunobstructed from one another when the first and second insert arereleasably coupled.

In another embodiment, the first insert defines a first coupling featureand the second insert defines a second coupling feature. The first andsecond coupling features may be operatively coupleable with one another.In some cases, the first coupling feature may be a grooved feature. Thesecond coupling feature may be a clip receivable by the grooved feature.

In another embodiment, the insert assembly further includes a thirdinsert releasably coupled to the second insert. The third insertincludes a third shell that defines a third channel therethrough. Thethird shell may include a third plurality of ribs that extend along aninterior surface of the third shell within the third channel. The thirdinsert may further include a third pad structure defined by porous mediaand gripped by the third plurality of ribs and held within the thirdchannel. The second and third inserts may be arranged in series alongthe longitudinal axis of the foam generating device with the second padstructure and the third pad structure directly facing one another forfluid coupling therebetween. The third plurality of ribs may be arrangedhorizontally relative to the longitudinal axis.

In another embodiment, another insert for a foam generating device isdisclosed. The insert includes a first shell portion. The insert furtherincludes a second shell portion releasably coupled to the first shellportion. The first and second shell portions may cooperate to define aninsert inlet, an insert outlet, and a channel that extends along alongitudinal axis of the insert between the insert inlet and the insertoutlet. The insert further includes a plurality of ribs in the channelarranged horizontally relative to the longitudinal axis. The insertfurther includes a plurality of pad structures defined by porous media.The plurality of pad structures is serially arranged along thelongitudinal axis and engaged with the plurality of ribs within thechannel.

In another embodiment, ribs of the plurality of ribs are spaced apartfrom one another along the longitudinal axis. In some cases, each of theplurality of pad structures are engaged with at least two ribs of theplurality of ribs.

In another embodiment, the first shell portion may include a firstinterior surface facing the channel. The second shell portion mayinclude a second interior surface facing the channel. Further, theplurality of ribs includes a first plurality of ribs defined by thefirst shell portion and extending integrally from the first interiorsurface. The plurality of ribs further includes a second plurality ofribs defined by the second shell portion and extending integrally fromthe second interior surface.

In another embodiment, the first and second shell portions may besubstantially symmetrical halves of a cylindrical cartridge. In somecases, the cylindrical cartridge may be a substantially elongatedstructure extending along the longitudinal axis of the insert.

In another embodiment, a first pad structure of the plurality of padstructures has a first thickness. Further, a second pad structure of theplurality of pad structures has a second thickness that is differentthan the first thickness.

In another embodiment, the insert inlet has an insert inlet width andthe insert outlet has an insert outlet width. A width of one or more padstructures of the plurality of pad structures may be greater than boththe insert inlet width and the insert outlet width.

In another embodiment, the porous media may include fibrous materialswith pores between the fibrous materials for defining a fluid paththerethrough. The fibrous materials may be adapted for agitation offluid traversing the fluid path.

In another embodiment, the first shell portion may define a firstcoupling feature and the second shell portion may define a secondcoupling feature. The first and second coupling features may beconfigured to engage one another and constrain relative axial androtational movement of the first and second shell portion. This maymaintain the channel between the first and second shell portions.

In another embodiment, a foam generating device is disclosed. The foamgenerating device includes an insert, such as any of the insertsdescribed herein. The foam generating device further includes a housing.The housing includes a housing inlet, a housing outlet, and an insertholding cavity. The insert holding cavity is adapted to the hold theinsert therein. A plurality of pad structures of one or more inserts arefluidly coupled with the housing inlet and the housing outlet.

In another embodiment, the housing includes an insert entry portconnecting to the insert holding cavity and configured to receive theinsert. In this regard, the foam generating device may further include acap configured to cover the insert entry port. The cap may include acatch that is arranged to extend into the insert holding cavity when thecap covers the insert entry port. The catch may be configured forreleasable attachment with the insert, thereby permitting movement ofthe insert via the cap.

In another embodiment, the insert may be a first insert and the foamgenerating device may include a second insert comprising anotherplurality pad structures formed from a porous material held therein. Insome cases, the second insert may be releasably coupled to the firstinsert, opposite the catch, thereby permitting exit of the first andsecond inserts from the insert holding cavity via the cap.

In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above,further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to thedrawings and by study of the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detaileddescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

FIG. 1A depicts a system including a car washing assembly according toimplementations of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1B depicts detail 1B-1B of FIG. 1A showing a foam generating deviceof FIG. 1A with a plurality of pad structures held by inserts of aninsert assembly;

FIG. 2 depicts another foam generating device according toimplementations of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 depicts an exploded view of the foam generating device of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 depicts a cross-sectional view of the foam generating device ofFIG. 3 , taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 ;

FIG. 5 depicts an insert including a plurality of pad structuresaccording to implementations of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 depicts an exploded view of the insert of FIG. 5 ;

FIG. 7 depicts a cross-sectional view of the insert of FIG. 5 , takenalong line 7-7 of FIG. 5 ;

FIG. 8 depicts an insert assembly according to implementations of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 9 depicts a cross-sectional view of the insert assembly of FIG. 8 ,taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8 ; and

FIG. 10 depicts a cross-sectional view of the foam generating device ofFIG. 2 , taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2 having the insert of assembly ofFIG. 8 arranged therein.

The use of cross-hatching or shading in the accompanying figures isgenerally provided to clarify the boundaries between adjacent elementsand also to facilitate legibility of the figures. Accordingly, neitherthe presence nor the absence of cross-hatching or shading conveys orindicates any preference or requirement for particular materials,material properties, element proportions, element dimensions,commonalities of similarly illustrated elements, or any othercharacteristic, attribute, or property for any element illustrated inthe accompanying figures.

Additionally, it should be understood that the proportions anddimensions (either relative or absolute) of the various features andelements (and collections and groupings thereof) and the boundaries,separations, and positional relationships presented therebetween, areprovided in the accompanying figures merely to facilitate anunderstanding of the various embodiments described herein and,accordingly, may not necessarily be presented or illustrated to scale,and are not intended to indicate any preference or requirement for anillustrated embodiment to the exclusion of embodiments described withreference thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The description that follows includes systems, methods, and apparatusesthat embody various elements of the present disclosure. However, itshould be understood that the described disclosure may be practiced in avariety of forms in addition to those described herein.

Described are inserts, insert assemblies, and foam generating devicesoperable for the production of foam, such as cleaning foam. Broadly, thefoam produced may include a variety of aerated solutions having certainsoaps, detergents, degreasers and so on, which may be used with variouscleaning systems, including car washes. Inserts of the presentdisclosure may be adapted to hold a plurality of pad structures that aredefined by porous or fibrous material. The pad structures are arrangedto receive a flow of such solutions, break-up fluid flow, aerate thefluid flow, and generate foam. The pad structures may be pinched or heldwithin the inserts to minimize blockages and obstructions along the flowpath. In some cases, multiple inserts each having a plurality of padstructures may be coupled with one another to collectively define aninsert assembly. The insert assembly thus provides multiple stages offluid agitation that may be adapted to generate a desired foamconsistency and texture.

To facilitate the foregoing, the insert may include a shell with a firstshell portion and a second shell portion. The first and second shellportions may be substantially symmetrical halves of the shell. The firstand second shell portions may cooperate to define a channel therethroughfor receiving and holding one or more pad structures. For example, thefirst and second shell portions may be segments of a cylindricalstructure and may generally define a concave interior surface. Theshells may each have a plurality of ribs arranged along the interiorsurface and situated substantially horizontally relative to alongitudinal axis of the assembly. The plurality of ribs may be adaptedto engage and contact the pad structures for holding the pad structureswithin the channel defined by the first and second shells. For example,the plurality of pad structures may be arranged in the channel and havean outer diameter that is larger than an inner diameter imparted by theribs so that the pads are pinched by the ribs of each of the first andsecond shell structures. In this regard, the ribs can include a varietyof structural features that facilitate retention of the pad structureswithin the channel. In one example, as shown and described below withrespect to FIG. 5 , the ribs can be defined by ridges or otherstructures that extend elongated along an interior surface of thechannel. Additionally or alternatively, the ribs can include or refer tovarious other structures, including spikes, combs, knurling and the liketo facilitate the retention of the pad structures within the channel.

The first and second shell structures may define an insert inlet at afirst end of the insert, and an insert outlet at a second end of theinsert. The channel extends between the insert inlet and the insertoutlet. The plurality of pad structures, in the installed configuration,are held within the channel and fluidly connected with the insert inletand the insert outlet. The insert inlet and the insert outlet may besubstantially unobstructed by structural components or intermediatelayers of the shell or foam generating device. As such, a cleaning-typesolution may be advanced through the insert inlet, channel, and insertoutlet for aeration using the pad structures, and without beingsubstantially impaired or impeded by the shell structure itself.

Multiple inserts may be associated with one another to form an insertassembly. For example, the inserts may be components of a modular systemin which two, three, four, or more inserts may be arranged in series todefine multiple stages of fluid agitation. In this regard, each insertmay be substantially analogous to the insert described above, andinclude a plurality of pad structures that are held within therespective insert by the corresponding plurality of ribs. The multipleinserts are arranged in series so that a pad structure of a first insertand a pad structure of a second insert are directly facing one anotherfor fluid coupling therebetween. In this regard, the inserts may definean intermediate space between the respective pad structures that may besubstantially free of intervening layers or structures or otherimpediments to flow. With the plurality of ribs holding or pinching thepad structures in place, the size of the intermediate space may besubstantially maintained during fluid flow through the assembly.

The insert assembly or optionally an individual insert may be receivedby a foam generating device and may be used to generate a foam product.For example, a foam generating device may include a housing with aninsert holding cavity that is adapted to receive the one or moreinserts. The housing defines a housing inlet and a housing outlet. Thehousing inlet may be configured to receive a flow of a cleaning solutionand direct the flow of solution to the one or more inserts of the insertholding cavity. The fluid flow is caused to traverse the one or moreinserts to cause fluid agitation and generate foam. The one or moreinserts are fluidly connected to the housing outlet where the foam maybe dispensed.

The foam generating device may also facilitate insert and pad structurerepair, maintenance, and replacement. The housing may define an insertentry port that defines a passage for receiving the one or more insertsand directing the inserts into the insert holding cavity. A cap mayfunction to close the insert entry port. The cap may also include acatch on an underside that is adapted to releasably engage an insert andhold the insert within the insert holding cavity. To replace the padstructure, the cap may be loosened from the insert entry port andremoved from the housing with the catch of the cap correspondinglyremoving the insert. As described herein, the insert may be separatedfrom the catch and disassembled in order to remove the pad structure forcleaning or replacement with a new structure.

The following description of the drawings is presented for purposes ofillustration and description, and is not intended to limit thedisclosure.

FIG. 1A depicts a system 100 including a car wash assembly 110 andvehicle 102. The car wash assembly 110 is shown engaged in a cleaningoperation for cleaning the vehicle 102 using a foam generating device120, such as the foam generating devices of the present disclosure. Thefoam generating device 120 may include one or more inserts thatcollectively define an insert assembly and that are used to break a flowof a cleaning solution to generate a foam product.

For purposes of illustration, the car wash assembly 110 is shown in FIG.1A as including a support 112, a manifold 160, cleaning solution source150, and the foam generating device 120. The support 112 may be astructural member that supports the foam generating device 120, themanifold 160, and conduits and associated components of the cleaningsolution source 150 above the vehicle 102.

The foam generating device 120 may be adapted to receive cleaningsolution from the cleaning solution source 150. The cleaning solutionmay include a concentrate and/or diluted form or certain soaps,detergents, and/or degreasers. In this regard, it will be appreciatedthat the cleaning solution source 150 is shown in FIG. 1A schematically,and that in other examples, the cleaning solution source 150 mayoptionally include multiple other drums of solutions, conduits, diluentsources, controls, and so on in order to deliver cleaning solution tothe foam generating device 120.

The foam generating device 120 is shown in FIG. 1A as one of group offoam generating devices. Each of the devices may be operable to receivethe cleaning solution from the cleaning solution source 150 and tooutput a foam product or other aeriated substance to the manifold 160.In some implementations, each foam generating device 120 receivescleaning solution from a dedicated cleaning solution source 150 suchthat each foam generating device 120 may dispense a foam that differsfrom other foam generating devices. In addition or alternatively, two ormore foam generating devices 120 may be coupled to a single cleaningsolution source 150 to enable the same foam to be dispensed frommultiple foam generating devices 120. The manifold 160 may receive thefoam output from the foam generating devices 120 and form a cascade 108over the vehicle 102. The car wash assembly 110 may allow the vehicle102 to pass through the cascade 108 to facilitate cleaning of thevehicle 102.

The cascade 108 is generated using one or more inserts arranged withinthe foam generating device 120. With reference to FIG. 1B, detail 1B-1Bis shown of FIG. 1A depicting the foam generating device 120 in partialcutaway, revealing inserts and pad structures therein. For example, FIG.1B shows the foam generating device 120 including a housing 122 with ahousing volume 124. A first insert 130 and a second insert 140 are shownarranged within the housing volume 124. The first insert 130 and thesecond insert 140 may each be adapted to hold a plurality of padstructures or other fibrous or agitation media therein. Cleaningsolution is advanced through the agitation media held by the first andsecond inserts 130, 140 for aeration of the solution and generation offoam.

In the example of FIG. 1B, the first insert 130 includes a firstplurality of ribs 132 and a first plurality of pad structures 134. Thefirst plurality of pad structures 134 may be formed from a porous mediaand are held within the first insert 130 by the first plurality of ribs132. The first plurality of ribs 132 may grip or pinch the firstplurality of pad structures 134 and impede movement of the firstplurality of pad structures 134 along a flow path of the cleaningsolution through the foam generating device 120. As further shown inFIG. 1B, the second insert 140 includes a second plurality of ribs 142and a second plurality of pad structures 144. The second plurality ofribs 142 and the second plurality of pad structures 144 may besubstantially analogous to the first plurality of ribs 132 and the firstplurality of pad structures; redundant explanation of which is omittedhere for clarity.

The first insert 130 and the second insert 140 are shown arranged inseries within the housing volume 124. The first and second inserts 130,140 are arranged in series and configured to allow the first pluralityof pad structures 134 and the second plurality of pad structures 144 todirectly face one another within the housing volume 124. In this regard,an intermediate space 190 may be defined between the first plurality ofpad structures 134 and the second plurality of pad structures 144. Theintermediate space 190 may be substantially free of intervening layersor other blockages to allow for optimal throughout of the cleaningsolution between the first and second inserts 130, 140.

In the example of FIG. 1B, a first pad structure 134 a of the firstplurality of pad structures 134 is arranged at and generally defines anupper boundary 136 of the intermediate space 190. Further, a second padstructure 144 b of the second plurality of pad structures 144 isarranged at and generally defines a lower boundary 146 of theintermediate space 190. The first pad structure 134 a and the second padstructure 144 b may be held with the first and second inserts 130, 140in order to maintain a size of the intermediate space 190 during fluidflow through the foam generating device 120. For example, the firstplurality of ribs 132 may pinch and at least partially deform the firstpad structure 134 a to secure the first pad structure 134 a in a mannerto withstand cleaning solution flow. Similarly, the second plurality ofribs 142 may pinch and at least partially deform the second padstructure 144 b to secure the second pad structure 144 b in a manner towithstand the cleaning solution flow. Accordingly, the first and secondpad structures 134 a, 144 b may be held in place along the intermediatespace 190 without reliance on structural supports placed directly in thecleaning solution flow path, such as without reliance on structuralsupports arranged along or on a longitudinal axis of the foam generatingdevice 120.

Turning to FIG. 2 , an example foam generating device 200 is shown. Thefoam generating device 200 may be substantially analogous to the foamgenerating device 120 and/or any of the foam generating devicesdescribed herein. The foam generating device 200 includes a housing 204with an insert holding cavity 216. The insert holding cavity 216 may beadapted to receive and hold one or more of the inserts or insertassemblies described herein. In this regard, the housing 204 may beconfigured to receive a flow of cleaning solution F₁ and direct the flowof cleaning solution F₁ to the inserts of the insert holding cavity 216or compartment. In turn, a flow of foam product F₂ may be emitted by thefoam generating device 200, as shown in FIG. 2 .

To facilitate the foregoing, the housing 204 may include a housing inlet208 and a housing outlet 212. The housing inlet 208 may be adapted toreceive the flow of cleaning solution F₁ via a fitting 234. For example,the fitting 234 may having a fitting inlet 238 that is connectable toconduits, piping, or other components of a car wash system in order todeliver the flow of cleaning solution F₁ to the foam generating device200. The flow of cleaning solution F₁ may therefore be received by thefitting inlet 238 and directed to the housing inlet 208 in order toadvance into the insert holding cavity 216. In other cases, the fitting234 may be omitted.

The housing outlet 212 may be defined at an end of the housing 204opposite the housing inlet 208. The insert holding cavity 216 may bearranged between the housing inlet 208 and the housing outlet 212 suchthat the holding cavity 216 is fluidly coupled to the housing inlet 208and the housing outlet 212. In this regard, the flow of the cleaningsolution F₁ may traverse through the insert holding cavity 216, beagitated and aerated therein (via the operation of the inserts) and beemitted from the housing 204 as the flow of foam product F₂.

In some cases, the housing 204 may include a flange 205 at the housingoutlet 212. The flange 205 may be used to connect the housing 204 of thefoam generating device 200 to components of a car wash or othercomponents of a cleaning system. As one example, the flange 205 may beconnected to a fluid connector 250 (shown in phantom in FIG. 2 ). Thefluid connector 250 may be an elbow or other fitting that fluidlyconnects the foam generating device 200 to a manifold (e.g., themanifold 160) or other component of a cleaning system.

The foam generating device 200 may be adapted to facilitate removal andreplacement of inserts held therein by use of a cap 224. The cap 224 mayseal the inserts within the insert holding cavity 216 and facilitateremoval of inserts held within the insert holding cavity 216. Forexample, and with reference to FIG. 3 , an exploded view of the foamgenerating device 200 is shown in which the cap 224 is separated fromthe housing 204. The cap 224 includes a handle portion 226 and a catchportion 228. The handle portion 226 may be used to manipulate the cap224 relative to the housing 204. The catch portion 228 may extendintegrally from the handle portion 226 and be adapted to extend at leastpartially into the housing 204 in order to facilitate the introductionand/or removal of the inserts into the insert holding cavity 216.

For example, the housing 204 may define an insert entry port 218. Theinsert entry port 218 may be connected to the insert holding cavity 216internally within the housing 204. The insert entry port 218 may beadapted to receive inserts therethrough for placement within the insertholding cavity 216. The cap 224 may be adapted to introduce inserts intothe insert entry port 218, for instance, using the catch portion 228,which may include a hook feature 230. The hook feature 230 may be usedto releasably engage an insert, such as any of the inserts describedherein. With the insert releasably engaged, the cap 224 with the catchportion 228 may be advanced through the insert entry port 218 advancingor retracting the insert within the insert holding cavity 216.

The cap 224 may be operable to close the insert entry port 218. Forexample, the cap 224 may be advanced at least partially through theinsert entry port 218 and may be releasably secured to the housing 204.To facilitate the foregoing, the cap 224 is shown as including a caplatch feature 227. The housing 204 is shown as including a housing latchfeature 219. The cap 224 may be advanced into the insert holding cavity216 for engagement of the cap latch feature 227 and the housing latchfeature 219 with one another. The cap latch feature 227 may be aprotruding and flexible structure that deforms upon entry into theinsert entry port 218. The cap latch feature 227 may snap into thehousing latch feature 219, which may be a slot or through portion. Toremove the cap 224, the cap latch feature 227 may be pressed in by auser, which may release the cap 224 for removal from the housing 204. Inone example, the removable attachment of the cap 224 and the housing 204may be facilitated by a ¼ turn threaded engage/disengage-type lockingmechanism. The cap 224 and the housing 204 may have complementarythreads, and the cap 224 may be rotated at least a ¼ turn relative tothe housing 204 to facilitate the engagement of the housing latchfeature 219 and the cap latch feature 227. In other examples, the cap224 may be associated with the housing 204 via an interference orfriction fit, with the cap latch feature 227 snapping into the housinglatch feature 219 upon the cap 224 reaching a predetermined axialposition relative to the housing 204.

The cap 224 may also include a window 232 at the catch portion 228. Thewindow 232 may be configured to align with the housing inlet 208. Thewindow 232 may be adapted to receive a flow of cleaning solution (e.g.,the flow F₁) from the housing inlet 208 and direct the flow to insertsthat are releasably coupled to the cap 224. For example and withreference to FIG. 4 , a cross-sectional view of the foam generatingdevice 200 is shown, with the window 232 substantially aligned with thehousing inlet 208. In this regard, fluid may be received through thewindow 232 and advanced substantially into the cap 224 within thehousing 204. The cap 224 may also define a passage 233, shown in thecross-sectional view of FIG. 4 . The fluid may exit the cap 224 via thepassage 233 and be directed toward inserts of the foam generating device200 that are releasably coupled to the hook features 230 of the catchportion 228 (e.g., as shown and described with respect to FIG. 10 ).

The cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 also illustrates the insert holdingcavity 216. The insert holding cavity 216 is defined by walls 217 thatgenerally run vertically along a height of the housing 204. As describedherein, one or more inserts are arranged with the insert holding cavity216 and encircled therein by walls 217. FIG. 4 also shows the housingoutlet 212 associated with threads 213. The threads 213 may be used toassociate one or more components of a fluid system, e.g., of a vehiclecleaning or other system, to the foam generating device 200. In othercases, the threads 213 may be omitted.

Turning to FIGS. 5-7 , an insert 500 according to the present disclosureis shown. The insert 500 may generally be adapted to hold one or morepad structures or other porous agitation media therein. The insert 500may be adapted to be received by any of the foam generating devicesdescribed herein, including the foam generating devices 120, 200. Inthis regard, the insert 500 may generally be adapted to receive a flowof cleaning solution and agitate and/or aerate the cleaning solutionwith the pad structure contained therein. In turn, the insert 500 mayemit a foam product for use in cleaning a vehicle or for use in otheroperations.

With specific reference to FIG. 5 , the insert 500 is shown as having aninsert inlet 502 and an insert outlet 504. Broadly, the insert 500 alsoincludes a channel 506 extending between the insert inlet 502 and theinsert outlet 504. The insert 500 may be arranged in a foam generatingdevice to receive a cleaning solution at the insert inlet 502. Theinsert 500 include a plurality of pad structures 550 arrangedsubstantially with the channel 506 and fluidly coupled to the insertinlet 502. The cleaning solution may be advanced through the insertinlet 502 and agitated and/or aerated by the plurality of pad structures550 to produce a foam product. The foam product may exit the insert 500at the insert outlet 504.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the insert 500 includes a first shell portion 510and a second shell portion 530. The first and second shell portions 510,530 may be substantially symmetrical halves of a shell. For example, thefirst shell portion 510 may have a body 511 that has a generallycylindrical contour with a concave interior surface that defines aportion of the channel 506. The second shell portion 530 may have a body531 that has a generally cylindrical contour with a concave interiorsurface that defines another portion of the channel 506. The body 511and the body 531 may be symmetrical. In some cases, the body 511 and thebody 531 may be substantially identical structures, thereby facilitatingmanufacture of the insert 500 by allowing the insert 500 to beconstructed from any two structures formed as the body 511 or the body531.

The first shell portion 510 and the second shell portion 530 arereleasably coupled to one another in order to facilitate removal andreplacement of the plurality of pad structures 550 held within thechannel 506. In this regard, the first and second shell portions 510,530 may be separated and coupled and separated, repeatedly, withoutcausing undue failure of the insert 500. To facilitate the foregoing,the insert 500 may include a series of closures 540. The series ofclosures 540 may include a clip closure 542 and a groove closure 544, asshown in FIGS. 5 and 6 ; however, other structures are contemplatedherein. In the example of FIGS. 5 and 6 the each of the first and secondshell portions 510, 530 includes coupling features such as clip closures542 and groove closures 544. The clip closures 542 may be protruding,flexible structures that are releasably receivable by a correspondinggroove closure 544 on the other of the first or second shell portion510, 530. The groove closure 544 may catch the clip closure 542,securing the clip closure 542 in place. The clip closure 542 may receivea force from a user to flex the clip closure 542 and release the clipclosure 542 from the groove closure 544.

The first and second shell portions 510, 530 also include additional oralternative coupling features to facilitate placement of the insert 500in a foam generating device and to facilitate releasable coupling of theinsert 500 with other inserts in order to form an insert assembly. Forexample, the first shell portion 510 includes a grooved feature 512. Thegrooved feature 512 defines an undercut 513 that is adaptable to receivea hook feature of a cap of a foam generating device (e.g., the hookfeature 230 of FIG. 3 ). Further, the second shell portion 530 includesa grooved feature 532. The grooved feature 532 defines an undercut 533that is adaptable to receive a hook feature, substantially analogous tothat of the undercut 513, described above. In some cases, the groovedfeatures 512, 532 may be arranged so that a hook feature of the cap maybe received generally interposed with the grooves features 512, 532. Thehook feature and/or the insert 500 may be rotated relative to oneanother so that the hook feature may be received by the undercuts 513,533, for example, as shown in FIG. 10 . Hook and groove featuresdisclosed may be configured as bayonet locks, which for example, may bereleasably attachable to one another by nesting the hook in the grooveand partially rotating the components relative to one another by apartial turn, e.g., a ¼ turn. In other examples, the hook and groovefeatures can be defined at least in part by a threaded connection, afeature to receive a cable, or substantially any number of othermechanisms to facilitate the attachment of the insert 500 to otherinserts and/or to the cap, allowing the an insert assembly to be removedfrom a foam generating device as a single unit (e.g., as shown in FIG.10 ).

The first and second shell portions 510, 530 also include variousfeatures to facilitate attachment of the insert 500 to other inserts.For example, the insert 500 may be one insert of a modular assembly, andthe insert 500 may be configured for releasable engagement within themodular assembly. In one example, as shown in FIG. 5 , the first shellportion 510 may include a clip 514 a and the second shell portion 530may include a clip 514 b. The clips 514 a, 514 b may be protruding,partially flexible structures that are receivable by grooved features ofanother insert, as shown and described herein with respect to FIG. 9 .

Turning to FIG. 6 , an exploded view of the insert 500 is shown. In theexploded view, the plurality of pad structures 550 include a first padstructure 550 a, a second pad structure 550 b, a third pad structure 550c, and a fourth pad structure 550 d. While the example of FIG. 6 showsfour pad structures, in other examples, more or fewer pad structures maybe used. The pads structures 550 a-550 d are generally stacked andarranged in series within the channel 506. Fluid may thus be receivedthrough the insert inlet 502 and progress successively through the firstpad structure 550 a, the second pad structure 550 b, the third padstructure 550 c, and the fourth pad structure 550 d, and then exit theinsert 500 via the insert outlet 504.

The pad structures 550 a-550 d are generally formed from porous mediasuch as a sparse unwoven polymer such as cellulose, nylon or spunpolypropylene and may resemble scouring pads. The pad structures may becompressible but may generally retain their shape when wet or dry. Thismay include certain fibrous materials that are adapted to agitate andbreak a flow of fluid that traverses therethrough. This breaking mayintroduce gas (e.g., air, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, which may becompressed) into the fluid and thus aerate the fluid to form bubblestherein in order to form the foam product. In some cases, the padstructures 550 a-550 d may be formed as substantially identicalstructures and may be interchangeable with one another. In other cases,it may be advantageous to form one or more of the pad structures 550a-550 d as having different physical properties, such as larger orsmaller spaces between the pad media, finer or courser media. This mayallow the insert 500 to be tailored to generate a foam product havingcertain characteristics, based in part on the pad structures arrangedtherein. To illustrate, the first pad structure 550 a is shown as havinga first height 552 a and a first porosity. The second pad structure 550b is shown as having a second height 552 b and a second porosity. Thethird pad structure 550 c is shown as having a third height 552 c and athird porosity. The fourth pad structure 550 d is shown as having afourth height 552 d and a fourth porosity. The forgoing heights andporosities may all be different from one another. In other cases two ormore may be substantially similar. Other arrangements are contemplatedherein and tailored to a given application, based on target foamcharacteristics.

For example, the plurality of pad structures 550 are generallyreleasably held within the insert 500 and therefore may be interchangedand replaced as needed. As described herein, a plurality of ribs maysecure the plurality of pad structures 550 within the insert 500. Theplurality of ribs may extend generally horizontally relative to alongitudinal axis of the insert 500 and may engage an outermost surfaceof each of the pad structures 550 a-550 d, thereby minimizing fluid flowdisruption through the channel attributable to the plurality of ribs.

In the example of FIG. 6 , the first shell portion 510 is shownincluding a first plurality of ribs 516. The second shell portion 530 isshown including a second plurality of ribs 536 (shown in phantom in FIG.6 ). The first and second plurality of ribs 516, 536 are generally shownas ridges or other raised structures extending elongated along aninterior of the first and second shell portions 510, 530 respectively.In other cases, it will be appreciated that the first and secondplurality of ribs 516, 536 can be formed additionally or alternativelyas spikes, combs, knurling or the like to facilitate retention of padstructures 550 within the insert 500. When the first and second shellportions 510, 530 are releasably coupled to one another, the first andsecond plurality of ribs 516, 536 may cooperate to form a plurality ofribs that define continual circumferential ribs around the plurality ofpad structures 550. The ribs 516, 536 may be dimensioned to at leastpartially extend into and deform the pad structures, helping to hold thepad structures in position within the channel 506.

With reference to FIG. 7 , a cross-sectional view of the insert 500 isshown taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 5 . In the cross-sectional view, thefirst and second shell portions 510, 530 are shown releasably engagedwith one another and with the plurality of pad structures 550 securedtherein. For example, FIG. 7 shows the plurality of ribs 516 of thefirst shell portion 510 extending at least partially into and grippingone or more pad structures of the plurality of pad structures 550.Further, the plurality of ribs 536 of the second shell portion 530 areshown extending at least partially into and gripping one or more padstructures of the plurality of pad structures 550. In this regard, theplurality of ribs 516, 536 may engage the plurality of pads 550 in amanner that impedes or prevents exit of the pads 550 from the insert500. In some cases, two or more ribs may engage an individual padstructure to facilitate a secure connection. For example, and as shownin FIG. 7 , a first rib 516 a and a second rib 516 b may be adapted toengage the second pad structure 550 b. In other cases, three, four, ormore ribs may be arranged to engage an individual pad structure.

Additionally, the insert 500 may be constructed to impeded or preventexit of the pad structure 550 from the channel 506. As shown in FIG. 7 ,the first and second shell portions 510, 530 may cooperate to define aninsert inlet width 503. The first and second shell portions 510, 530 mayalso cooperate to define an insert outlet width 505. The insert inletwidth 503 and/or the insert outlet width 505 may be less than a width ofany of the pad structures 550. Accordingly, with the pad structures 550held within the channel 506, the reduced size of the insert inlet 502and the insert outlet 504 relative to the size of the pads may impedethe exit of the pad structures from the insert 500 as cleaning solutionor foamed cleaning solution is advanced therethrough.

The inserts of the present disclosure may be associated with one anotherin order to form an insert assembly. In this regard, an insert may be amodular component that is connected to other inserts, optionally ofsimilar or identical construction. The inserts may be arranged in serieswith a foam generating device and define multiple stages of foamgeneration therein.

Turning to FIGS. 8 and 9 , an insert assembly 800 is shown. The insertassembly includes a first insert 802 a, a second insert 802 b, and thirdinsert 802 c. The inserts 802 a-802 c may be substantially analogous toany of the inserts described herein, such as the insert 500 of FIG. 5 ;redundant explanation of which is omitted here for clarity. The inserts802 a-802 c are shown arranged in series, with the first and secondinserts 802 a, 802 b defining a first interface 803 a, and the secondand third inserts 802 b, 802 c defining a second interface 803 b. Itwill be appreciated that while three inserts are shown in FIG. 8 , theinsert assembly 800 may include more or fewer inserts as needed for agiven application.

The insert assembly 800 may define an assembly inlet 810 a and anassembly outlet 810 b. In the example of FIG. 8 , an inlet of the firstinsert 802 a defines the assembly inlet 810 a and an outlet of the thirdinsert 802 c defines the assembly outlet 810 b. In other cases, otherinserts may define the assembly inlet and/or outlet 810 a, 810 b, basedin part on a quantity of inserts releasably coupled to one anotherwithin the assembly 800.

The assembly 800 is adapted to receive a flow of fluid, such as acleaning solution, at the assembly inlet 810 a. The inserts 802 a-802 cmay collectively define an assembly channel 805 that extends between theassembly inlet 810 a and the assembly outlet 810 b. A plurality of padstructures 804 is arranged within the assembly channel 805 and fluidlycoupled between the assembly inlet 810 a and the assembly outlet 810 b.As described herein, the plurality of pad structures 804 may include aplurality of pad structures for each of the inserts 802 a-802 c. In thisregard, the cleaning solution may be received at the assembly inlet 810and introduced into the assembly channel 805. The cleaning solution maybe caused to pass through each of the plurality of pad structures 804within the assembly channel 805 in order to agitate and aerate the fluidand form a foam product. The foam product may exit the assembly 800 viathe assembly outlet 810 b.

The assembly 800 is shown in FIG. 8 as further including a first endcoupling 806 and a second end coupling 808. The first end coupling 806may be a grooved feature of the first insert 802 a in the example ofFIG. 8 . In other examples, other inserts may define the first endcoupling 806. The first end coupling 806 may broadly be adapted toreleasably connect the assembly 800 to a cap (e.g., the cap 224 of FIG.2 ) or other features of a foam generation device. The first endcoupling 806 may therefore be used to introduce and remove the assembly800 from a foam generation device, as described herein. The second endcoupling 808 may be clips of the third insert 802 c in the example ofFIG. 8 . In other examples, other inserts may define the second endcoupling 808. The second end coupling 808 may broadly be adapted toreleasably connect another insert to the assembly 800. For example,another insert may include grooved features, such as grooved features ofany of the inserts described herein, and the second end coupling 808 maybe inserted into the groove features, thereby allowing the assembly 800to be defined by four individual inserts. Analogously, more inserts maybe added to the assembly 800.

Turning to FIG. 9 , a cross-sectional view of the insert assembly 800 isshown taken along line 9-9 in FIG. 8 . In the cross-sectional view, theinserts 802 a-802 c are shown arranged in series to define a flow pathfor cleaning or other solution from the assembly inlet 810 a to theassembly outlet 810 b. The flow path traverses each of the inserts 802a-802 c so that the cleaning solution may be agitated by pad structurescontained within each of the respective inserts. This approach mayfacilitate multi-stage foam generation in which the cleaning solution isagitated and/or aerated in a sequence, and additively in order toproduce the foam product emitted at the assembly outlet 810 b.

To facilitate the foregoing, in the example of FIG. 8 , the first insert802 a is shown as including a first plurality of pad structures 804 a,the second insert 802 b is shown as including a second plurality of padstructures 804 b, and the third insert 802 c is shown as including athird plurality of pad structures 804 c. The pad structures 804 a, 804b, 804 c may collectively define the plurality of pad structures 804described above with respect to FIG. 8 . With the first plurality of padstructures 804 a, the first insert 802 a may define a first stage offluid agitation 820 a. Further with the second plurality of padstructures 804 b, the second insert 802 b may define a second stage offluid agitation 820 b. Further with the third plurality of padstructures 804 c, the third insert 802 c may define a third fluid stageof fluid agitation 820 c.

The stages of fluid agitation 820 a-820 c may be tailored to break theflow of the cleaning solution in a predetermined manner. As one example,the plurality of pads of the respective one of the stages 820 a-820 cmay have a porosity, height, composition or other characteristic tunedto agitate the solution to a desired level at the respective stage. Alsoshown in FIG. 9 , the stages 820 a-820 c may be separated by anintermediate layer. For example, the assembly 800 may define a firstintermediate layer 807 a at the first interface 803 a. The assembly 800may also define a second intermediate layer 807 b at the secondinterface 803 b. The intermediate layers 807 a, 807 b may be free of anyintervening layers or structural components of the assembly 800. Forexample, the pad structures of the respective stages 820 a-820 c maydirectly face one another across the respective intermediate layers, andthereby enhance throughput through the assembly 800 during thegeneration of the foam product.

FIG. 10 depicts a cross-sectional view of the foam generating device 200of FIG. 2 , taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 having the insert of assembly800 of FIG. 8 arranged therein. The insert assembly 800 may bereleasably coupled to the cap 224. For example and as shown in FIG. 10 ,the hook feature 230 of the cap 224 is shown engaged with the first endcoupling 806 of the assembly 800. In this regard, the cap 224 may bemanipulated relative to the housing 204 and separated from the housing204. This manipulation of the cap 224 may in turn cause the assembly 800to be removed from the housing 204 as the assembly 800 moves with anaxial movement of cap 224 away from the housing 204.

FIG. 10 also illustrates a flow path of fluid through the foamgenerating device 200 in order to product the foam product. For exampleand as described above, the foam generating device 200 may be adapted toreceive a flow of cleaning solution at the fitting inlet 238. Thecleaning solution may proceed through the fitting 234 and into thehousing 204 via the housing inlet 208. The cleaning solution may thenproceed from the housing inlet 208 and through the window 232 of the cap224 and to the insert assembly 800. For example, the assembly inlet 810a of the insert assembly 800 may be fluidly coupled to the housing inlet208 via the window 232 and thus be adapted to receive the flow ofcleaning solution via the window 232. The cleaning solution may thenproceed through the inserts 802 a, 802 b, 802 c, successively, in orderto produce the foam product. For example, the cleaning solution may beagitated and aerated in stages, such as through the first stage 820 adefined by the first insert 802 a, the second stage 820 b defined by thesecond insert 802 b, and the third stage 820 c defined by the thirdinsert 802 c. The insert assembly 800 may emit the resulting foamproduct at the assembly outlet 810 b. The foam product may proceed fromthe assembly outlet 810 b to the housing outlet 212. The foam generatingdevice 200 may emit the foam product at the housing outlet 212.

Other examples and implementations are within the scope and spirit ofthe disclosure and appended claims. For example, features implementingfunctions may also be physically located at various positions, includingbeing distributed such that portions of functions are implemented atdifferent physical locations. Also, as used herein, including in theclaims, “or” as used in a list of items prefaced by “at least one of”indicates a disjunctive list such that, for example, a list of “at leastone of A, B, or C” means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., Aand Band C). Further, the term “exemplary” does not mean that thedescribed example is preferred or better than other examples.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, uses specificnomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the describedembodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art thatthe specific details are not required in order to practice the describedembodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the specificembodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustrationand description. They are not targeted to be exhaustive or to limit theembodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to oneof ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations arepossible in view of the above teachings. Consequently, variations andmodifications commensurate with the teachings, and skill and knowledgeof the relevant art, are within the scope of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. An insert assembly for a foam generating device,the insert assembly comprising: a first insert comprising: a first shellthat defines a first channel therethrough, the first shell comprising afirst plurality of ribs extending along an interior surface of the firstshell within the first channel; and a first pad structure defined byporous media and being gripped by the first plurality of ribs and heldwithin the first channel; and a second insert releasably coupled to thefirst insert, and comprising: a second shell that defines a secondchannel therethrough, the second shell comprising a second plurality ofribs extending along an interior surface of the second shell within thesecond channel; and a second pad structure defined by porous media andbeing gripped by the second plurality of ribs and held within the secondchannel, wherein the first and second inserts are arranged in seriesalong a longitudinal axis of the foam generating device with the firstpad structure and the second pad structure directly facing one anotherfor fluid coupling therebetween, and wherein the first plurality of ribsand the second plurality of ribs are arranged transversely relative tothe longitudinal axis.
 2. The insert assembly of claim 1, wherein: thefirst and second inserts define an intermediate space between the firstpad structure and the second pad structure when the first and secondinserts are releasably coupled to one another.
 3. The insert assembly ofclaim 2, wherein the first and second inserts are adapted to restrainthe first and second pad structures, respectively, from entry into theintermediate space.
 4. The insert assembly of claim 1, wherein the firstplurality of ribs is adapted to pinch the first pad structure in thefirst channel, partially deforming the first pad structure andrestraining axial movement of the first pad structure in the firstchannel.
 5. The insert assembly of claim 1, wherein: the first padstructure is one of a plurality of first pad structures thatcollectively define the first stage of fluid agitation in the firstshell, and the second pad structure is one of a plurality of second padstructures that collectively define the second stage of fluid agitationin the second shell.
 6. The insert assembly of claim 1, wherein: thefirst insert defines a first coupling feature, the second insert definesa second coupling feature, and the first and second coupling featuresare operatively coupleable with one another.
 7. The insert assembly ofclaim 6, wherein: the first coupling feature is a grooved feature, andthe second coupling feature is a clip receivable by the grooved feature.8. The insert assembly of claim 1, wherein: the insert assembly furthercomprises a third insert releasably coupled to the second insert andcomprising: a third shell that defines a third channel therethrough, thethird shell comprising a third plurality of ribs extending along aninterior surface of the third shell within the third channel; and athird pad structure defined by porous media and being gripped by thethird plurality of ribs and held within the third channel, wherein thesecond and third inserts are arranged in series along the longitudinalaxis of the foam generating device with the second pad structure and thethird pad structure directly facing one another for fluid couplingtherebetween, and wherein the third plurality of ribs is arrangedtransversely relative to the longitudinal axis.
 9. A foam generatingdevice, comprising: an insert comprising: a first shell portion; asecond shell portion releasably coupled to the first shell portion, thefirst and second shell portions cooperating to define an insert inlet,an insert outlet, and a channel that extends along a longitudinal axisof the insert between the insert inlet and the insert outlet; aplurality of ribs in the channel arranged transversely relative to thelongitudinal axis; and a plurality of pad structures defined by porousmedia, the plurality of pad structures serially arranged along thelongitudinal axis and engaged with the plurality of ribs within thechannel; a housing having a housing inlet, a housing outlet, an insertholding cavity adapted to hold the insert therein, and an insert entryport connecting to the insert holding cavity and configured to receivethe insert, wherein the plurality of pad structures of the insert arefluidly coupled with the housing inlet and the housing outlet; and a capconfigured to cover the insert entry port, the cap including a catchthat is arranged to extend into the insert holding cavity when the capcovers the insert entry port, and the catch configured for releasableattachment with the insert, thereby permitting movement of the insertvia the cap.
 10. The foam generating device of claim 9, wherein ribs ofthe plurality of ribs are spaced apart from one another along thelongitudinal axis.
 11. The foam generating device of claim 10, whereineach of the plurality of pad structures are engaged with at least tworibs of the plurality of ribs.
 12. The foam generating device of claim9, wherein: the first shell portion comprises a first interior surfacefacing the channel, the second shell portion comprises a second interiorsurface facing the channel, and the plurality of ribs comprises: a firstplurality of ribs defined by the first shell portion and extendingintegrally from the first interior surface; and a second plurality ofribs defined by the second shell portion and extending integrally fromthe second interior surface.
 13. The foam generating device of claim 9,wherein: a first pad structure of the plurality of pad structures has afirst thickness, and a second pad structure of the plurality of padstructures has a second thickness that is different than the firstthickness.
 14. The foam generating device of claim 9, wherein: theinsert inlet includes an insert inlet width, the insert outlet includesan insert outlet width, and a width of one or more pad structures of theplurality of pad structures is greater than both the insert inlet widthand the insert outlet width.
 15. The foam generating device of claim 9,wherein the porous media comprises fibrous materials with pores betweenthe fibrous materials for defining a fluid path therethrough, thefibrous materials adapted for agitation of fluid traversing the fluidpath.
 16. The foam generating device of claim 9, wherein: the firstshell portion defines a first coupling feature, the second shell portiondefines a second coupling feature, and the first and second couplingfeatures are configured to engage one another and constrain relativeaxial and rotational movement of the first and second shell portions andthereby maintain the channel between the first and second shellportions.
 17. The foam generating device of claim 9, wherein: the insertis a first insert, the foam generating device includes a second insertcomprising another plurality pad structures formed from a porousmaterial held therein, and the second insert is releasably coupled tothe first insert, opposite the catch, thereby permitting exit of thefirst and second inserts from the insert holding cavity via the cap.